McKinney Vento/Homeless

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.

Defining Homeless The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason

Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations

Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters

Children and youth abandoned in hospitals

Children and youth awaiting foster care placement

Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)

Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations